Adaptable drawbar support assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a drawbar support assembly. There is a need for a drawbar support assembly which can adapt to different types of drawbars. An adaptable drawbar support assembly includes a generally U-shaped front support member for coupling to and supporting the front end of the drawbar. A front spacer member mounts in the front support member above or below the front end of the drawbar. A generally U-shaped rear support member couples to and supports the drawbar. A rear spacer member mounts in the rear support member below the drawbar. The rear spacer member is removable from the rear support member when the front spacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar. A ball coupler is attached to the rear end of the drawbar when the front spacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar. A clevis coupler is attached to the rear end of the drawbar when the front spacer member is mounted below the front end of the drawbar.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.11/748,691, entitled “ADAPTABLE DRAWBAR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY”, filed 15 May2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,454.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adaptable drawbar support assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is often necessary to attach a variety of different implements tovehicles such as agricultural tractors. For example, some implementsmust be coupled to a drawbar with a ball-type coupling mechanism. Otherimplements must be coupled to a drawbar with a clevis-type couplingmechanism. Thus, it is desirable to be able to easily switch or changedrawbars which are mounted to a tractor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an adaptabledrawbar support assembly for a tractor.

This and other objects are achieved by the present invention, which isan adaptable drawbar support assembly which can accommodate differentdrawbars having different implement coupling mechanisms at their rearends. The drawbar support assembly includes a generally U-shaped frontsupport member for coupling to and supporting the front end of adrawbar. A front spacer member is mountable in the front support memberabove or below the front end of the drawbar. The drawbar supportassembly also includes a generally U-shaped rear support member forcoupling to and supporting the drawbar, and a rear spacer member. Therear spacer member is removably mountable in the rear support memberbelow the drawbar. The rear spacer member is preferably removed from therear support member when the front spacer member is mounted above thefront end of the drawbar. The drawbar support assembly may receive adrawbar with a ball coupler or a drawbar with a clevis coupler. The rearspacer member includes a base and a pair of blocks which projectupwardly from the base and which are spaced apart laterally from eachother. The blocks form slot through which extends the drawbar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawbar support assembly according tothe present invention, including a drawbar with a clevis-type coupler;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drawbar support assembly according tothe present invention, including a drawbar with a ball-type coupler;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of the front support portion ofthe drawbar support assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from below of the front support portion ofthe drawbar support assembly of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an adaptable drawbar support assembly 10includes a front support 12 and a rear support 14 for coupling to andsupporting various drawbars, such as drawbars 16 or 18. The frontsupport 12 and the rear support 14 are preferably bolted to theunderside of a vehicle such as a tractor (not shown). Each drawbar 16,18 extends from a front end 20, 21 to a rear end 22, 23. The rear end 22of drawbar 16 can be attached to ball-type implement coupling mechanism24. The rear end of drawbar 18 can be attached to a clevis-typeimplement coupling mechanism 26.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the front support 12 is generally U-shaped andincludes a front support plate 28, a pair of front support posts 30 and32, a pair of spacers 34 and 36 and a movable front spacer member 38. Apivot pin 40 extends through pivot pin bores in the front spacer member38, the front ends of drawbars 16 and 18 and plate 28, and into abushing 46 which is mounted to the underside of the tractor frame (notshown). As a result, the plate 28 supports the front end of the drawbarand is pivotally coupled to the drawbar. The front spacer member 38 maybe mounted in the front support 12 either above the front end of thedrawbar 16 (as best seen in FIG. 2), or below the front end of thedrawbar 18 and between drawbar 18 and the plate 28 (as best seen in FIG.1). As best seen in FIG. 4, a retainer plate 48 is bolted to the bottomside of plate 28 to prevent pin 40 from sliding down through the pivotpin bore in plate 28. Bolts 50 attach the front support 12 to a tractorframe member (not shown).

Referring again to FIG. 1, the rear support 14 is also generallyU-shaped and includes a rear support plate 51, a pair of L-shaped rearsupport posts 52 and 54, and a rear spacer 55. Plate 51 includes aplurality of paced apart pin bores 56. Each of the posts 52 and 54includes a downward extending leg 58 and a leg 60 which projectsinwardly from an upper end of leg 58. As a result, the rear supportforms an inverted T-shaped opening or slot 62. Rear spacer 55 includes abase 64 and a pair of blocks 66 and 68 which project upwardly from thebase 64 and which are spaced apart laterally from each other. The blocks66, 68 form an upwardly opening slot 70. The rear spacer 55 may bemounted in the slot 62 so that base 64 is below drawbar 18 and betweendrawbar 18 and plate 51.

Alternatively, as best seen in FIG. 2, the rear spacer 55 may be removedfrom the slot 62 so that drawbar 16 can be supported by the rear support14 with the bottom of drawbar 16 resting directly on the upper surfaceof rear support plate 51.

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with aspecific embodiment, it is understood that many alternatives,modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this inventionis intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications andvariations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

1. An adaptable drawbar support assembly, comprising: a drawbarextending from a front end to a rear end, the rear end being attachableto a selected one of a plurality of different implement couplingmechanisms; a generally U-shaped front support member for coupling toand supporting the front end of the drawbar; a movable front spacermember, the front spacer member being mountable below the drawbar andbetween the drawbar and the front support member, and the front spacermember being mountable above the front end of the drawbar; a generallyU-shaped rear support member for coupling to and supporting the drawbar;and a removable rear spacer member, the rear spacer member beingmountable in the rear support member below the drawbar, the rear spacermember being removable from the rear support member when the frontspacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar.
 2. Theadaptable drawbar support assembly of claim 1, wherein: a clevis coupleris attached to the rear end of the drawbar when the front spacer memberis mounted below the front end of the drawbar.
 3. An adaptable drawbarsupport assembly adapted for supporting a selected one of a plurality ofdifferent drawbars, comprising: a generally U-shaped front supportmember adapted for coupling to and supporting a front end of theselected drawbar; a movable front spacer member, the front spacer memberbeing mountable below the selected drawbar and between the front supportmember and the drawbar, and being mountable above a different selecteddrawbar; a generally U-shaped rear support member for coupling to andsupporting the drawbar; and a removable rear spacer member, the rearspacer member being mountable in the rear support member below thedrawbar, the rear spacer member being removable from the rear supportmember when the front spacer member is mounted above the differentselected drawbar.
 4. The adaptable drawbar support assembly of claim 3,wherein: a clevis coupler is attached to the rear end of the selecteddrawbar when the front spacer member is mounted below the front end ofthe selected drawbar.
 5. An adaptable drawbar support assembly,comprising: a drawbar extending from a front end to a rear end, the rearend being attachable to a selected one of a plurality of differentimplement coupling mechanisms; a generally U-shaped front support memberfor coupling to and supporting the front end of the drawbar; a frontspacer member mounted in the front support member above or below thefront end of the drawbar; a generally U-shaped rear support member forcoupling to and supporting the drawbar; and a rear spacer member mountedin the rear support member below the drawbar, the rear spacer memberbeing removable from the rear support member when the front spacermember is mounted above the front end of the drawbar, the rear supportmember forming an inverted T-shaped opening which is substantiallyfilled when the rear spacer member and the drawbar are received therein.6. An adaptable drawbar support assembly, comprising: a drawbarextending from a front end to a rear end, the rear end being attachableto a selected one of a plurality of different implement couplingmechanisms; a generally U-shaped front support member for coupling toand supporting the front end of the drawbar; a movable front spacermember, the front spacer member being mountable below the drawbar andbetween the drawbar and the front support member, and the front spacermember being mountable above the front end of the drawbar; a generallyU-shaped rear support member for coupling to and supporting the drawbar;and a removable rear spacer member, the rear spacer member beingmountable in the rear support member below the drawbar, the rear spacermember being removable from the rear support member when the frontspacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar, the rearsupport member forming an inverted T-shaped opening which issubstantially filled when the rear spacer member and the drawbar arereceived therein.
 7. The adaptable drawbar support assembly of claim 6,wherein: a clevis coupler is attached to the rear end of the drawbarwhen the front spacer member is mounted below the front end of thedrawbar.